FESTIVAL & THEATER ARTS OF

CHINA,JAPAN,INDONESIA,&THAILAND
THEATER ARTS
 China :Chinese Peking Opera

China is known for their traditional

theater art form, the Peking opera or
Beijing opera which combines
music, vocal performance,
pantomime,dance, and acrobatics. It started in the late 18th century.
Peking opera Training
Pupils were often handpicked at a young age by a teacher and
trained for seven years on contract from child’s parent.
Roles and Characters
Sheng- is the main male role in Peking Opera.
1.)Xiaosheng-actors are often involved with beautiful woman by virtue of the
handsome and young image they project.

2.)Wusheng- is a martial character for roles involving combat. They are highly
trained in acrobatics and have a natural voice when singing.

3.)Laosheng-is a dignified older role. These character have

a gentle and cultivated disposition, and wear sensible costumes.
Dan-refers to any female role in Peking Opera

1.)Laodan-an 2.)Wudan-a martial 3.)Daomadan- are 4.)Qingyi-are virtuous

old woman woman young female warriors and elite women
Jing-is a painted face male role who plays
either primary or secondary roles.
Chou- is a male crown role. The Chou usually
plays secondary roles whose name also
means “ugly”.
Singing and Costumes

Stage-square platforms, the action on stage is usually visible from at least 3 sides
Costumes:Xingtou, popularly known as Xifu, in Chinese origins of Peking Opera. Costumes can be traced
back to the mid-14th century
Props:utilizes very few props,will almost always have a table and at least one chair, which can be turned
through convention into such diverse objectsas a city wall, a mountain, or a bed.
Musicians: are visible to the audience on the front part of the stage
Viewers:always seated south of the stage, therefore, north is the most important direction.
Performers:immediately move to the center north upon entering the stage.
Kabuki of Japan
Kabuki is a form of traditional
japanese drama with highly stylized
song, mime, and dance, now
performed only by male actors.

Kabuki theater is known for the stylization of its drama and for
the elaborate makeup worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is
therefore sometimes translated as “the art of singing and
dancing”. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the
verb kabuku, meaning “to lean” or “to be out of the ordinary”.
The Kabuki stage features
Hanamichi- a flower path, a walkway
which extends into the audience via
which dramatic entrances and exits are
made; Okuni also performs on a
hanamichi stage with her entourage.
Kogakudo-kabuki theaters that have
stages both in front of the audiences and
along the sides help create a bond between the actors and viewers
Mawaro butal-the interior of the theater contains a revolving stage
Suppon-a platform that arises from below the stage
Hanamicho-a walkway that cuts through the audience seating area to
connect the stage with the back of the theater.
The 3 Main Categories of the Kabuki Play

Jidaimo-historical or Sewamono-dosmetic or Shosagoto-dance pieces

pre-Seongoku period stories post-Sengoku stories

Jidaimono, or history plays, were set within the context of major events in Japanese history.
Sewamono focused primarily upon commoners (townspeople and peasants). It is generally
related to themes of family and romance.
 Elements Of Kabuki
Mie in which the actor holds a
picturesque pose to establish
his character and his house
name yago, is sometimes
heard in a loud shout(kakegoe)
from an expert audience member,
serving both to express and enhance the
audience’s appreciation of the actor’s
achievement. An even greater compliment
can be paid by shouting the
name of the actor’s father Kesho.
Actors are seperated into two main categories:
Onna-gata refer to the female roles and Aragoto refer to the male roles.Most main characters in
kabuki plays ara aragoto, because of its superstylized masculine, heroic style.
Wayang Kulit of Indonesia
Wayang refers to kinds of
puppet theaters. Sometimes
the puppet itself reffered to
as wayang. Performances of
shadow puppet theaters are
accompanied by a gamelan
orchestra in Java, and by gender wayang
in Bali. Wayang kulit, or shadow puppets, are without doubt the best known of
the Indonesian wayang. Kulit means skin and refers to the leather
construction of the puppets that are carefully shaped with very fine tools and
supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods.
The stories are usually from the Hindu epics:
 Ramayana
 Mahabharata
 Serat Menak-a story about the heroism of Amir Hamza
Elements Of Performance
The fundamental components of a performance include :
• The puppeter, dhalang(Java)/ dalang(Bali)
• A hammer used by the dhalang to knock on the puppet box
• Metal plates that the dhalang hits with his foot,kepyak
• A traditional Indonesian orchestra,gamelan
• Shadow puppets, Wayang kulit
• A light source, blencong
• Female singers and a male chorus, pesindhen and penggerong
• A screen frame and screen, gawang and kelir, the main focus of the performance
• Banana logs,gedebog; the pointed sticks of the wayang base handle pierce the peeled
trunk of a banana tree and the spongy subststance holds the pupet in place
• A puppet box, kothak`
 Nang Shadow Puppets Show of Thailand
Shadow puppet (Thai: Nang)
was one form of public
entertainment in south of
Thailand. It is still very
popular at villages festivals,
temple fairs, and celebrations
such as marriages
The puppets are colorful but really they do not have to be
because you only see black shadows.
Performances
The puppet shows have a religious theme or have an episode from
the Ramayana epic which contains dozens of individuals stories.
They may also be specially written to include up-to-the minute
reflections, songs and poems about local events and matters of
current interest in the district or country.
Mr. Suchart Sapsin, is a man of many talents. He is not only an
expert in the craft of making the puppets but he is also an award-
winning writer and poet. He is a narrator, speaking or singing all the
parts using different voices
Mr. Suchart Sapsin, is a man of many talents. He is not only an expert in the
craft of making the puppets but he is also an award-winning writer and poet.
He is a narrator, speaking or singing all the parts using different voices, and
he is a superb mimic
Nang recites tales of gods and contemporary people through stories of love,
current events, and tradition. The shadow puppets used in the Nang
represent the norms and mores of Thai society. Themes commonly seen in
Nang performances include family conflict,fantastic adventures of a
wandering hero, star-crossed lovers and romantic tales, hermits teaching
magic to their apprentices, and abandoned children seeking lost loved ones.
The Nang attempts to relay to the audience the importance of Thai values
and ideologies in a changing world. However, the mystical and historical
events remain fundamental in all performances. The association with
karma(all actions have equal reactions) and the underlying message of
rewards and punishments act as allegories for Buddhist morality and
philosopy.The Nang is usually performed during the country’s dry
season(February to August).
 Two Types of Nang

Nang Talung is played with leather puppets, each representing a separate character,
about 50 cm high. They usually posses a movable,jointed arm controlled by a string.
Nang Yai is normally made of cowhide and rattan, a large, decorated scene and
characters measuring aroung 2 m high and a meter wide. They do not have jointed
arms, but the themes and syles remain the same.
The Nai Nang are the teachers and presenters of the Nang Talung. There are over 300
Nai Nang in the southern regions of Thailand. They perform using the puppets on a
blacklighted white screen, and hide themselves in small wood and bamboo shelters.
The Nai Nang are the teachers and presenters of the Nang
Talung. There are over 300 Nai Nang in the southern regions of
Thailand. They perform using the puppets on a blacklighted white
screen, and hide themselves in small wood and bamboo shelters.
Characters are the gods and goddesses,kings and
queens,magical figures, and comedians. It is the Ngai Nang’s
responsibility to act as an intermediary between the community
and the gods, thus the Nang and it’s producers are highly
respected and greatly entwined into Thailand’s cultural fibers.
Here are the performances of all Theater Arts in China,
Japan, Indonesia, Thailand:
China’s Peking Opera
Kabuki Of Japan
Wayang Kulit of Indonesia
Nang Shadow Puppets of Thailand
ASIAN FESTIVALS
 Chinese Spring : New Year Festival
Chinese New Year is the longest
and most important festivity in the
chinese Calendar. The origin of
Chinese New Year is itself
centuries old and gains
significance because several myths and traditions. Chinese New
Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese
populations, like Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan,
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and
Vietnam
Chinese New Year is known as “Spring Festival”, the literal
translation of the Chinese name Chunjie, since the spring
season in Chinese calendar starts with lichun, the first solar
term in a Chinese calendar year. It marks the end of the
winter season.
The Dragon dance is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese
Culture; like the lion dance its is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many
Chinese people often use the term “Descendants of the Dragon”(long de chuan
ren) as a sign of ethnic identity.
The dragon dance is a highlight if
Chinese New Year celebrations held
in worldwide in Chinatowns around
the world. The dragon symbolizes
power, strength, and good luck. The
dance team mimics the supposed
movements of this river spirit in a flowing, rise and fall manner. The movements
in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons
demonstrating power and dignity.
Traditional women wear the cheogsams and the qipaos whilethe men wear
mandarin collared shirts with the Chinese dragon symbols, and tradition kung
fu suits and coats. Children wear costumes and the kung fu suits too.
Taiko Drum Festival Of JapAN
A good example of a professional taiko
drumming troupe is the Kodo. They are
based in Sado Island, Japan, they had
a big role in popularizing taiko
drumming, both in Japan and abroad.
They regularly tour Japan, Europe, and the United States. The name, kodo
conveys two meanings:
1. Heartbeat the primal source of all rhythm and, read in a different way.
2. Children of the drum, a reflection of Kodo’s desire to play their drums
simply, with the heart of a child.
History
Drums were used in
ancient times to
signify the boundaries
of a village. Peasant
events such as the rice
harvests or dance
festivals were
celebrated with drums.
Drums were used to pray for rain and other religious ceremonies.
Drums lead warrior into battles in order to scare off the enemy.
Costumes and Props
Happi- coats over black with white
calligraphy. A baggy-sleeved short
cotton jacket, ties with a sash(obi)
around the waist. It is usually a plain
color, typically blue or black,with a
symbol printed on the lapels on the back.
Uchite, taiko drummer, can wear loose
fitting happi(short coat), with an obi.
Hachimaki-white headband
Tabi-shoes with big toe seperated
Odaiko-big drum
Jozuke-medium drum
Chime-smal drum
Balinese Dance Festival of Indonesia
Balinese dance are very ancient
dance tradition that is a part of the
religious and artistic expression
among the Balinese people.

In Bali there are various categories of dance, including epic performances such
as the universal Mahabharata and Ramayana. Certain ceremonies at village
temples feature as a specail performance of a dance-drama, a battle between
the mythical characters Rangda, the with representing evil and Barong, the lion
or dragon, representing good.
MOVEMENTS

Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes,hands,arms,hips, and feet are

coordinated to reflect layers of percussive sounds. The number of codified hand
positions and gestures, the mudras, is higher in India than in Java or Bali. Hand
positions and gesture are nonetheless as important in Javanese and Balinese
dance as in India.
Costumes of Balinese Dancers

Most female dancers wear:

 A crown
 Various colors of makeup
 Both real and golden flowers in their hair
 Sarong and wrap a long sash from their
hips to their breasts as well as many gold decorations
Male Dancers wear:
 Makeup
 A mask when they dance the topeng dance
 A crown
 A cloak or many pieces of these clothes around their body
 Male dancers also carry a sword on their shoulders.
Lantern Festivals of Thailand
Sky Lantern (Yi Peng) Festival
The Sky lantern Festival of
Thailand is held not just in this
country but also in China, Taiwan,
and other neighboring countries.
This event is held on the full moon of
the 12th month in the traditional Thai
lunar calendar.
The Chiang Mai area has been the scene of mass sky lantern release.
LOY or Loi Krathong Festival
Loy/Loi literally means “to float”, while
krathong refers to the “lotus-shaped
receptacle” which can float on the water.
Originally, the krathong was made of
banana leaves or the layers of the trunk
of a banana tree or a spider lily plant.
The festival is believed to originate in an ancient
practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. A krathing
will be decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, and incense sticks. A low value coin is
sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. During the night of the full moon.
The tradition is said to have begun in 13th century when a young queen made a small boat adorned with candled
and sent it down to the rivers.
It is a ritual honoring Phra Mae Kongka, the goddess of water. The construction of colorful boats was a way of not
only giving thanks for the abundance of water, but also a way to seek forgiveness for oversue and pollution. Today,
Loy Krathong is a way for people to make a wish and look toward the future.
Here are the performances of all Asian Festivals in
China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand:
Chinese New Year Festival
Taiko Drum Festival Of Thailand
Balinese Dance Festival Of Indonesia
Lantern Festival Of Thailand
The End